A case of multiple median sternotomy for infection and expanding hematoma in 10 years

BACKGROUND: After a median sternotomy, mediastinitis may develop, necessitating reopening of the chest. Rarely, reoperation due to hematoma after cardiovascular surgery is experienced. In the present case, we experienced a patient who initially had mediastinitis, but later developed a chronic hematoma and underwent multiple surgeries. CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 40-year-old man who underwent aortic valve replacement for a bicuspid aortic valve and a graft for a dilated ascending aorta. Postoperatively, he developed hematoma in the anterior mediastinum on multiple occasions with repeated episodes of infection that required multiple median sternotomies. CONCLUSIONS: We reported our experience with a rare case of multiple median sternotomies. In the early stage, mediastinitis due to infection was observed, and in the late stage, mediastinal dilatation due to hemorrhage was observed.